Edinburgh Crystal facts for kids
Edinburgh Crystal was a type of beautiful cut glass made in Scotland. It was produced by a company called Edinburgh Crystal from 1867 until 2006. They made many different glass items, not just drinking glasses. You could find lovely decanters, bowls, baskets, and even bells made by them.
In 2006, the Edinburgh Crystal company faced financial difficulties. It was later bought by another company, Waterford Wedgwood. At this point, Edinburgh Crystal stopped making glass and became just a brand name. By 2009, the brand was no longer used.
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Popular Glass Designs
Edinburgh Crystal made many different styles of glassware. Four of their most famous and collected designs were:
- Star of Edinburgh – This design featured a cool star-burst pattern that looked like a star exploding.
- Thistle – These pieces were inspired by the thistle, which is Scotland's national flower. The tops of the glass items were shaped like a thistle, and the main part of the glass had a special dotted (or stippled) texture.
- King James – This glassware had long, elegant stems and necks. Its style was inspired by glass used way back in the 1600s!
- Lochnagar – This design was created when Queen Victoria was queen. You can spot it by its unique swirling pattern.
Working with Young Designers
For a while, students from Wolverhampton University and the Edinburgh College of Art got a chance to work at Edinburgh Crystal. They spent about a year helping in the design department. This gave the students great work experience and brought fresh, new ideas to the company. One of the new designs that came from this teamwork was called the 'Edge' range.
The Visitor Centre
Edinburgh Crystal used to have a Visitor Centre in Penicuik, Scotland. It was a popular place, with about 100,000 people visiting each year! Visitors could watch how the beautiful glassware was made and even chat with the skilled craftspeople who created it. The Visitor Centre is now closed.
A Look Back at History
Glass making has been around for a very long time, but big companies making glass for sale really started to appear in the 1800s.
In 1867, the Edinburgh and Leith Flint Glass Company was started. Over the years, different people and companies owned it. In 1921, a company called Thomas Webb and Sons Limited bought Edinburgh Crystal, but it kept its original name.
The company changed its name to The Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company in 1955. Later, in 1969, the company moved to a much larger site in Penicuik, which is about 10 miles (16 km) from Edinburgh.
In 1990, a group of managers and investors bought Edinburgh Crystal. They moved all the glass making and shipping to the Penicuik site.
In 2004, Edinburgh Crystal bought another famous glass company called Caithness Glass. Caithness Glass was well-known for making beautiful paperweights.
Sadly, in May 2006, the offices and warehouse of Edinburgh Crystal were badly damaged by a fire. A few months later, in July 2006, the Edinburgh Crystal Glass Company faced financial difficulties. Its smaller companies, Caithness Glass and Selkirk Glass, also had problems and eventually stopped trading. However, the Caithness Glass part of the business was bought by Dartington Crystal and still makes paperweights in Scotland today!
In 2007, Waterford Wedgwood bought Edinburgh Crystal. All the manufacturing moved to Europe, and Edinburgh Crystal became just a brand name. Then, in 2009, Waterford Wedgwood also faced financial difficulties. When it was bought by another company, the Edinburgh Crystal brand was finally stopped.
Special Products
Edinburgh Crystal made some very special items:
